Vacuum Coolers – Industrial Vacuum Cooling Systems for Fresh Produce
Cold Change Group supplies high-performance industrial vacuum coolers, vacuum pre-coolers and complete vacuum cooling systems for fresh produce growers, farms, packhouses and food processors worldwide.
Our vacuum cooling technology is designed to rapidly remove field heat from suitable fresh produce, providing fast and uniform temperature reduction throughout the product. From compact single-pallet systems to high-capacity 20-pallet installations, Cold Change can provide a vacuum cooler for sale to suit a wide range of production capacities and applications.
We supply commercial vacuum cooling equipment throughout the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, supported by international technical assistance, spare parts and servicing.
Explore the complete Cold Change Vacuum Cooler Range or view our latest vacuum coolers for sale.
What Is a Vacuum Cooler?
A vacuum cooler is an industrial rapid pre-cooling system that removes heat from suitable products by reducing the atmospheric pressure inside a sealed vacuum chamber.
As the pressure falls, the boiling point of water decreases. A small quantity of moisture within or on the surface of the product begins to evaporate at a low temperature.
Evaporation requires energy. This energy is taken from the product in the form of heat, causing its temperature to fall rapidly.
Unlike conventional refrigerated rooms, where cold air must gradually penetrate boxes, pallets and layers of produce, vacuum cooling can remove heat throughout suitable products across the load.
This makes industrial vacuum cooling particularly effective for products with a high surface-area-to-mass ratio and suitable moisture characteristics.
Cold Change offers a complete range of industrial vacuum cooling systems for commercial applications.
What Else Is a Vacuum Cooler Called?
The terminology used for vacuum cooling equipment varies considerably between countries and industries.
Around the world, buyers may search for this technology using terms including:
Vacuum cooler
Vacuum coolers
Vacuum cooling machine
Vacuum cooling machines
Vacuum cooling system
Vacuum cooling systems
Vacuum cooling equipment
Vacuum cooling chamber
Industrial vacuum cooler
Commercial vacuum cooler
Vacuum pre cooler
Vacuum pre-cooler
Vacuum precooler
Vacuum pre cooling
Vacuum pre-cooling
Vacuum precooling
Vacuum chiller
Vacuum chilling machine
Vacuum chilling system
Vegetable vacuum cooler
Fresh produce vacuum cooler
Produce pre cooler
Post-harvest cooling system
Rapid vacuum cooler
Hydro vacuum cooler
Hydro-vac cooler
Wet vacuum cooler
Although terminology varies internationally, these descriptions can refer to equipment using reduced atmospheric pressure and evaporative cooling to rapidly remove heat from suitable products.
Vacuum Coolers for Fresh Produce
Cold Change fresh produce vacuum coolers can be designed around the individual requirements of growers, farms, food processors and packhouses.
One of the principal advantages of industrial vacuum cooling is speed.
Depending on the product, packaging, starting temperature, required final temperature and machine specification, vacuum cooling can reduce product temperature much faster than relying solely on conventional refrigerated storage.
Rapid removal of field heat allows growers and packhouses to establish the cold chain much earlier after harvest.
Cold Change vacuum cooling systems can be used for suitable applications including:
Mushrooms
Iceberg lettuce
Romaine and cos lettuce
Leafy vegetables
Baby leaf
Spinach
Rocket and arugula
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Celery
Herbs
Asparagus
Watercress
Cabbage
Leeks
Green onions
Flowers and horticultural products
Turf
Selected bakery and food applications
You can explore the complete Cold Change vacuum cooling equipment range to compare different machine capacities.
Why Use an Industrial Vacuum Cooler?
For commercial growers and fresh produce processors, rapidly removing field heat can be an important part of maintaining an effective cold chain.
Rapid Cooling
A correctly designed industrial vacuum cooler can dramatically reduce the time required to remove heat from freshly harvested produce.
Cold Change’s current vacuum cooler range lists typical cooling times of approximately 8–25 minutes, depending on the weight, temperature and characteristics of the product.
Fast cooling can be particularly valuable during peak harvest periods when substantial quantities of produce need to move rapidly from the field through the packhouse and into refrigerated storage.
Uniform Cooling
Vacuum cooling can remove heat throughout suitable products inside boxes, crates and pallet loads rather than relying solely on refrigerated air gradually reaching the centre of the load.
Improved Cold Chain Management
Rapid vacuum pre-cooling allows harvested produce to approach its required storage temperature much sooner.
The cold room can then concentrate on maintaining product temperature rather than being expected to remove large quantities of field heat from warm produce.
Maintaining Product Quality
Temperature management is one of the most important considerations for fresh produce following harvest.
Rapid temperature reduction can help slow temperature-dependent deterioration and support the maintenance of freshness and marketable product quality throughout storage and distribution.
High Throughput
Fast cooling cycles can allow substantial quantities of produce to be processed through a relatively compact industrial cooling system.
For large growers and packhouses, the correct vacuum cooling machine should therefore be selected according to required tonnes per hour as well as the number of pallets that physically fit inside the chamber.
Vacuum Cooler Sizes – From Single Pallet to 20 Pallets
Cold Change supplies industrial vacuum coolers in a complete range of pallet capacities, allowing the system to be matched to the customer’s production requirement.
Single Pallet Vacuum Cooler
Our single pallet vacuum cooler provides a compact entry point into industrial vacuum cooling for smaller production requirements, trials and specialist applications.
2 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 2 pallet vacuum cooler provides increased batch capacity while maintaining a relatively compact footprint for smaller and medium-sized growers.
4 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 4 pallet vacuum cooler is designed for commercial growers and packhouses requiring greater throughput without moving immediately to a large multi-pallet installation.
6 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
Our 6 pallet vacuum cooler provides additional batch capacity for growing fresh produce operations and medium-to-high-volume packhouses.
8 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 8 pallet vacuum cooler provides substantial commercial cooling capacity and can be configured around product weight, temperature reduction and required cycle time.
10 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
Our 10 pallet vacuum cooler is designed for higher-throughput commercial operations where significant quantities of fresh produce must be rapidly pre-cooled.
12 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 12 pallet vacuum cooler provides high-volume batch cooling for larger growers, processors and fresh produce packing operations.
14 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
Our 14 pallet vacuum cooler is intended for large commercial operations requiring substantial pallet capacity and high daily throughput.
16 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 16 pallet vacuum cooler provides a large-capacity industrial solution for major growers, packhouses and produce processors.
18 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
Our 18 pallet vacuum cooler is designed for very high-throughput applications where large quantities of produce need to be rapidly pre-cooled.
20 Pallet Vacuum Cooler
The 20 pallet vacuum cooler represents one of the largest standard capacities within the Cold Change range and is designed for major commercial fresh produce operations.
20 Pallet Eco Vacuum Cooler
The 20 pallet Eco vacuum cooler provides an additional high-capacity option focused on efficient industrial vacuum cooling.
Can’t see the exact capacity you require?
Cold Change can also provide bespoke vacuum cooling systems engineered around your pallet dimensions, product weight, production throughput and target cooling time.
View the Complete Vacuum Cooler Range →
Vacuum Cooler Price – How Much Does a Vacuum Cooler Cost?
The price of a vacuum cooler depends on considerably more than the physical size of the vacuum chamber.
Important factors can include:
Vacuum chamber dimensions
Pallet capacity
Vacuum pump configuration
Refrigeration capacity
Product type
Product weight
Starting temperature
Required final temperature
Required cycle time
Door configuration
Conveyor requirements
Electrical specification
Control system
Refrigerant selection
Condenser configuration
Shipping and installation requirements
A compact 2 pallet vacuum cooler and a high-capacity 20 pallet vacuum cooler are fundamentally different pieces of industrial equipment.
For commercial operators, it can therefore be more useful to consider cooling cost per pallet or tonne of productalongside initial purchase price.
If you are looking for a vacuum cooler price or comparing vacuum coolers for sale, Cold Change can assess your production requirements and recommend an appropriate system.
Mushroom Vacuum Coolers
Mushrooms are one of the best-known commercial applications for vacuum cooling.
Freshly harvested mushrooms can deteriorate rapidly if field heat is not removed effectively.
A correctly designed mushroom vacuum cooler can rapidly reduce product temperature throughout trays, boxes and pallet loads, helping growers establish the cold chain much sooner after harvest.
Cold Change supplies vacuum coolers for mushroom farms, growers and packhouses internationally.
Our systems can be engineered around the individual production capacity, pallet weight, starting temperature and required cooling cycle of the mushroom operation.
Read our complete guide to vacuum cooling mushrooms for more information about this application.
Lettuce Vacuum Coolers
Lettuce is one of the world’s major applications for commercial vacuum cooling.
Products such as iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cos lettuce and other leafy varieties can carry substantial field heat immediately following harvest.
A dedicated lettuce vacuum cooler can rapidly reduce temperature throughout suitable palletised loads before the product moves into refrigerated storage and distribution.
Cold Change supplies lettuce vacuum cooling systems for growers, farms and packhouses internationally.
Read our complete guide to vacuum cooling lettuce to learn more about rapidly cooling freshly harvested lettuce.
Vacuum Cooling Leafy Vegetables
Vacuum cooling is particularly well suited to many leafy vegetables because of their structure and relatively large surface area.
Applications can include:
Baby leaf, spinach, rocket, arugula, watercress, leafy salads, Asian greens, herbs and other suitable crops.
For high-volume growers, rapid vacuum pre-cooling can significantly change the speed at which harvested product enters the cold chain.
Explore our industrial vacuum cooling systems for different production capacities.
Vegetable Vacuum Coolers
An industrial vegetable vacuum cooler can potentially be used for a range of suitable fresh produce where rapid field-heat removal is required.
Cold Change can assess the product and required cooling duty to determine whether vacuum cooling is appropriate and calculate the required refrigeration and vacuum pump capacity.
Where vacuum cooling isn’t the most appropriate technology for a particular product, Cold Change also supplies alternative cold-chain cooling equipment.
Our range includes hydro cooling systems for products better suited to chilled-water cooling.
This allows the cooling technology to be selected around the product rather than attempting to use one method for every application.
Vacuum Cooling Flowers
Vacuum cooling technology can also be used within horticulture and the cut-flower industry for suitable products.
Rapid temperature management can be particularly important for flowers entering extended storage, distribution and export supply chains.
Cold Change can assess individual flower and horticultural applications to determine whether vacuum cooling is suitable and design the system around the required processing capacity.
Several Cold Change vacuum cooler models are specified for flowers as well as vegetables, turf and bakery applications.
Vacuum Coolers for Sale Worldwide
Cold Change Group supplies industrial vacuum coolers worldwide.
Whether you are searching for a vacuum cooler in Australia, vacuum cooler in New Zealand, vacuum cooler in the UK, vacuum cooler in Europe, vacuum cooler in the USA, Canada, South America, Asia, Africa or the Middle East, our systems can be designed around the requirements of your facility.
We support customers from initial equipment selection and system design through manufacturing, international delivery, commissioning and ongoing technical support.
Vacuum Coolers Australia
Cold Change supplies vacuum coolers in Australia for commercial fresh produce growers, farms, mushroom producers and packhouses.
Systems can be designed around product type, production throughput, pallet configuration, starting temperature and required final temperature.
Options range from compact single pallet vacuum coolers through to large 20 pallet vacuum cooling systems.
Vacuum Coolers New Zealand
Cold Change supplies vacuum coolers in New Zealand for growers, mushroom farms, vegetable producers and fresh produce businesses.
From smaller pallet systems to large commercial vacuum cooling installations, equipment can be engineered around individual production and cooling requirements.
Vacuum Coolers UK & Europe
Cold Change supplies industrial vacuum coolers throughout the UK and Europe for fresh produce growers, packhouses and food processors.
Systems can be configured for completely new installations as well as businesses looking to replace, upgrade or increase existing vacuum cooling capacity.
Vacuum Coolers USA & Canada
Cold Change can supply industrial vacuum cooling systems to customers throughout the United States and Canada.
Systems can be designed around individual fresh produce applications, production volumes and site requirements, ranging from smaller commercial growers to high-throughput packing operations.
New & Used Vacuum Coolers
Depending on availability, Cold Change can supply both new and used vacuum coolers.
New systems can be engineered specifically around the customer’s product, pallet configuration, throughput and cooling requirements.
Where suitable used equipment becomes available, Cold Change can also assist businesses looking for a lower-cost route into commercial vacuum cooling.
Customers searching for a used vacuum cooler for sale can check our latest vacuum coolers for sale or contact Cold Change with their required capacity.
Choosing the Correct Vacuum Cooling System
Selecting the correct industrial vacuum cooler should begin with the product and required cooling duty rather than simply choosing a chamber size.
Important information includes:
Product being cooled
Kilograms of product per pallet
Number of pallets per cycle
Starting product temperature
Required final temperature
Required cooling time
Required cycles per hour
Total tonnes per hour
Operating hours per day
Available electrical supply
Packaging and pallet configuration
Site conditions
Cold Change can use this information to determine the appropriate vacuum chamber, refrigeration capacity and vacuum pump configuration for the application.
Vacuum Cooling vs Cold Room Cooling
A cold room and a vacuum cooler perform different functions.
Cold rooms are excellent for maintaining refrigerated product temperatures.
However, placing warm harvested produce into a cold room can require considerable time for heat to move from the centre of the product and pallet into the refrigerated air.
A vacuum pre-cooler is specifically designed to remove heat rapidly before the product enters refrigerated storage.
For suitable produce, this can significantly reduce the amount of field heat entering the cold store.
Vacuum Cooling vs Blast Cooling
Blast cooling and forced-air cooling use high-velocity refrigerated air to remove heat from products.
Vacuum cooling uses a different mechanism based on evaporation under reduced atmospheric pressure.
Both technologies have suitable applications.
The correct system depends upon product structure, moisture characteristics, packaging, throughput, temperature requirements and available infrastructure.
Explore the wider Cold Change cold-chain equipment range to compare cooling technologies.
Vacuum Cooling vs Hydro Cooling
Hydro cooling removes heat by bringing suitable produce into contact with chilled water.
It can be extremely effective for products capable of tolerating direct water contact.
Vacuum cooling can be particularly attractive for leafy and porous products because rapid cooling can occur throughout suitable produce without relying on cold water penetrating the pallet load.
Cold Change supplies both vacuum cooling equipment and hydro cooling systems, allowing the technology to be selected according to the application.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vacuum Coolers
How Does a Vacuum Cooler Work?
A vacuum cooler places the product inside a sealed chamber and reduces atmospheric pressure using vacuum pumps.
As the pressure decreases, the boiling point of water falls. A small quantity of moisture within or on the product evaporates at a low temperature.
Evaporation requires energy, which is extracted from the product in the form of heat. This causes the product temperature to fall rapidly.
How Fast Is Vacuum Cooling?
Vacuum cooling can be considerably faster than conventional cold-room cooling for suitable products.
Actual cooling time depends on product type, starting temperature, required final temperature, product weight, packaging, vacuum pump capacity and refrigeration capacity.
Cold Change currently lists typical cooling times of approximately 8–25 minutes depending on product weight and temperature across several models in its vacuum cooler range.
See our 4 Pallet Vacuum Cooler, 8 Pallet Vacuum Cooler and 10 Pallet Vacuum Cooler for examples.
What Products Can Be Vacuum Cooled?
Vacuum cooling is particularly suited to certain products with high surface area and suitable moisture characteristics.
Common applications include lettuce, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, herbs, asparagus, flowers, spinach, watercress and other fresh produce.
Cold Change’s Vacuum Cooling Range provides further information about applications.
Does Vacuum Cooling Remove Moisture?
Vacuum cooling works through evaporation, so some moisture removal is inherent in the cooling process.
The exact amount depends upon the required temperature reduction and characteristics of the product.
For suitable applications, controlled water addition or hydro-vacuum cooling can also be considered.
What Is a Vacuum Pre-Cooler?
A vacuum pre-cooler, vacuum precooler or vacuum pre cooling system is a vacuum cooler being used to rapidly reduce product temperature before refrigerated storage or transportation.
The different terms are commonly used internationally for the same underlying cooling technology.
Is a Vacuum Chiller the Same as a Vacuum Cooler?
The terms vacuum chiller and vacuum cooler are sometimes used interchangeably.
Both can describe equipment using reduced atmospheric pressure and evaporative cooling to rapidly remove heat from suitable products.
What Size Vacuum Cooler Do I Need?
The correct machine size depends on much more than pallet quantity.
Product weight per pallet, starting temperature, required final temperature, cooling time and hourly throughput should all be considered.
Cold Change offers:
Single Pallet | 2 Pallet | 4 Pallet | 6 Pallet | 8 Pallet | 10 Pallet | 12 Pallet | 14 Pallet | 16 Pallet | 18 Pallet | 20 Pallet
How Much Does a Vacuum Cooler Cost?
Vacuum cooler prices vary according to chamber capacity, vacuum pump configuration, refrigeration capacity, automation, materials, controls, electrical specification and other options.
Providing Cold Change with your product, load weight, starting temperature, required final temperature and throughput allows the appropriate machine to be selected and quoted.
View our vacuum coolers for sale for more information.
Where Can I Buy a Vacuum Cooler?
Cold Change Group supplies new industrial vacuum coolers and vacuum cooling systems worldwide.
Systems can be provided for small, medium and large fresh produce operations and configured around individual products and production requirements.
Explore the complete industrial vacuum cooler range.
Looking for a Vacuum Cooler?
If you are planning a new vacuum cooling installation, replacing an existing machine or increasing your current cooling capacity, speak to Cold Change Group about your requirements.
We supply industrial vacuum coolers for sale for small, medium and large-scale fresh produce operations worldwide.
From compact Single Pallet Vacuum Coolers through 4 Pallet, 8 Pallet, 10 Pallet, 12 Pallet and large 20 Pallet Vacuum Cooling Systems, our objective is simple:
Faster cooling. Consistent product temperatures. Improved cold-chain performance.
Request a Vacuum Cooler Quotation
To help Cold Change select the correct vacuum cooling system, send us:
Product
Pallets per cycle
Weight per pallet
Starting product temperature
Required final temperature
Required cooling time
Required hourly throughput
Country of installation
Visit Cold Change Group to discuss your requirements and receive a quotation for a vacuum cooling system designed around your operation.
